Find out how popular the last name Scharfman is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Scharfman.

Scharfman, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Scharfman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Scharfman in America

Scharfman is the 148347th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Scharfman surname appeared 111 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Scharfman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Scharfman to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Scharfman

The surname Scharfman is of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word "scharf," meaning "sharp" or "keen," and the suffix "-man," indicating a person or occupation. The name likely originated in the 12th or 13th century, referring to someone who worked as a sword sharpener, knife grinder, or in a similar trade involving sharp implements.

The earliest known record of the name appears in the Bürgerausschuss records of the city of Nürnberg (Nuremberg) in 1387, where a certain Hans Scharfman is mentioned as a resident. Another early reference can be found in the Wittenberg archives from 1492, which lists a Johannes Scharfman as a member of the local guild of metalworkers.

In the 16th century, the name Scharfman is recorded in various regions of Germany, including the cities of Augsburg, Leipzig, and Cologne. One notable bearer of the name was Martin Scharfman (1534-1608), a Lutheran theologian and professor at the University of Wittenberg.

As the surname spread across German-speaking regions, it underwent slight variations in spelling, such as Scharffmann, Scharffman, and Scharpfman. These variations can be found in historical records from various regions, including the Palatinate, Bavaria, and Saxony.

Another prominent individual with the surname Scharfman was Johann Friedrich Scharfman (1677-1742), a German composer and organist who served at the court of the Elector of Saxony in Dresden.

In the 19th century, the name Scharfman began to appear in records from other parts of Europe, likely due to emigration. One notable example is Abram Scharfman (1828-1901), a Jewish merchant and philanthropist who was born in the Prussian province of Posen (now part of Poland) and later settled in London, England.

Other notable bearers of the Scharfman surname include Otto Scharfman (1866-1936), a German-American painter and illustrator known for his depictions of the American West; and Hans Scharfman (1887-1967), a German-born American actor and film director who worked in Hollywood during the early 20th century.

Overall, the surname Scharfman has a rich history rooted in the medieval German trades and has since spread across various regions, contributing to the cultural and professional diversity of its bearers.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Scharfman

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Scharfman.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Scharfman was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Scharfman has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Scharfman was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Scharfman, please contact us.

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